Monday, April 02, 2012

Freedom

Freedom.


Reclaiming the lost freedom. A lot of us from middle class background has been voluntarily giving it away for the security offered by a regular paycheck. Probably because we were conditioned that way. It was like going from the confinement and routine of the academic life to the confinement and routine of a professional life.


Or may be its the fear of losing. You are not supposed to fail in school or college. At IIT they throw you out for that. From a very young age we have been forced to avoid or even punished for our failures.


But isn't life more or less like a trial and error affair? Just like learning to ride a bicycle? You fall, you pick up the cycle and keep trying till you stop falling.


So may be we should fall a few times and learn to stand up and try again. And again. Till we learn. The most productive times of our day can be better used for things that make a difference to our lives in the long run. We cannot afford to be afraid. 


The security of a regular paycheck comes at a heavy price. And that price is time. After a long day's work all how much meaningful personal time we have? Though we may run and win the rat race, the winner is still, a rat. 


The late american architect Richard Buck minster Fuller wrote in the 80's that there's enough wealth in this world for every single person on this planet to afford a billionaire's life style. If that is the case, then why are so many of us still on a rat race? And why most of us don't even know if there is a way out?


Maybe it is a systemic problem and there has to be a way out.


May be we need to educate ourselves on being free and independent. To quote Steve Jobs - stay hungry, stay foolish.


Courtesy to all the men and women who inspired me to write this. Starting from my family, thanks to chechi and aliyan for your kind words. 


So I hope the fire keeps burning despite the daily grind. 

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